Treatment of irish moss



Patented July 18, .1950

TREATMENT OF IRISH MOSS Arthur EdSiehrs, Chicago, 111., assignor to Krim- Ko Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application April 22, 1946, Serial No. 663,945

14 Claims. l

The present invention concerns a novel procedure or valuable discovery for the treatment or partial purification of marine-plants, more particularlyIrish-moss, and involves the preliminaryremoval from the raw, black, unbleached Irish-moss of various soluble impurities, salts and the like, and a certain amount of coloring matter and odor by thoroughly soaking the black, unbleached moss in water, or, in some cases, in a hydrochloric acid solution at about 1 to 7 pH, for a period of time dependingupon various conditions, but, under preferred circumstances, from about 10 to 20 minutes, the suitable temperature of the liquid employed ranging from about 100 to 120 Fahr. but not warm enough to permit any substantial portion of the extractible, valuable mucilaginous-constituents of the unbleached Irish-moss going into solution, the upper limit of such temperature, in most cases, being about 120 Fahn, this procedure varying somewhat with different types of moss and at different periods of the year.

The amount of fresh water, or the amount of the acid-solution used, may be about sixteen to eighteen times the weight of the black, dry moss employed, the immersed moss preferably being ground to a length of about inch long, or to a fineness of about 20 to 60 mesh, and moderately agitated during its soaking.

The soaking of such moss having been completed, as much water as possible is removed therefrom by means of a high-speed centrifuge or other appliance, then a second charge of fresh water equal to the first is added to the moss and mixed therewith for about five minutes, whereupon the water is drained off to render the moss as dry as possible by means of a centrifugeor otherwise, following which the moss is bleached in a thin layer by exposure to light, but at some time prior to such bleaching the moss is finely subdivided preferably to about 100 to 200 mesh, the bleaching referred to taking place in sunlight while the moss is spread in a thin layer about one-sixteenth inch thick preferably, but not necessarily, by a continuous process as distinguished from a batch process.

If the soaking is done in the acid-solution such acidity is eliminated either by additional. washing or by the use of a suitable base, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium carbonate.

As an alternative procedure for the washing of the mossacontinuous washer may be employed, or the second washing may be in the form of a cold water rinse using machinery possibly of the type which is now being employed for commercial washing of vegetables, this being merely a squirrel-cage type of device in which the moss is tumbled and propelled forward during which time it is subject to the action of high-pressure sprays of fresh cold water. 1

Such black, unbleached Irish-moss having been preliminarily thoroughly washed as indicated, so that its soluble nonmucilaginous substances, such as salts and impurities, have been removed, the wet moss may then have its acidity adjusted to the alkaline or neutral pH by employing a base, such as indicated above, in proper amountin order to protect the strength of the contained stabilizer in the moss during future operations, and the moss is thereupon either dried and ground to approximately to 200 mesh by means of a suitable mill, or it is passed through a colloid mill in the wet state and reduced to fine-particle size, such type of mill constituting an attrition device for reducing the particles of. the substance while wet, and the product from such wet grinding is then dried and further ground in a hammer-mill or other suitable type of mill, the advantage of the wet grinding being that it is :possible to obtain a finer particle size than with a dry material, the supplemental grinding of the dried wet ground product being ordinarily required because the dried particles have a tendency to adhere together somewhat.

The next step, as indicated hereinbefore, in the novel procedure is to expose the finely ground moss to the action of direct sunlight by spreading it out in thin layers on trays, or by depositing it in a thin layer on a traveling continuous belt exposed to sunlight to obtain a very fast bleaching action of about one-half hour to one hour, this rapid bleaching being possible of attainment because of the extremely fine particle-size of the moss resulting in a very quick light penetration of the Irish-moss particles, the thickness of the material exposed to such sunlight being very thin, for example, about one-sixteenth inch.

The bleaching referred to may be accelerated, if desired, by the employment of a relatively high humidity and a comparatively high temperature under glass in the presence of sunlight.

One outstanding advantage of this innovatory procedure is that it is possible to employ a continuous process set up for the bleaching of the moss because of the comparatively short time this finely ground moss takes to bleach.

Another benefit accruing from this new method is the avoidance of the cost of the employment of a batch process.

Again, the reduction of the moss to fine-particle size before bleaching results in better bleaching and a lessening of the time necessary to accomplish this desirable result.

As indicated, this bleaching may occur under high humidity or under dryness because the quickened speed of bleaching affords the advantage of a continuous process.

Whereas, hereinabove, one or more detailed complete procedures have been set forth, the invention in its broader aspects is not necessarily limited to such exact practices in that the acid treatment of the black Irish-moss of itself, so far as is known, is novel and possesses marked advantages.

I have made the valuable discovery that the proteinous material and certain of the salts of the crude moss are much more soluble in an acid agent that in a neutral medium and that, as amatter of fact, certain constituents of the moss are not soluble in a neutral, or substantially neutral pH, but only when an acid medium is employed will they go into solution.

Such acid-washed crude Irish-moss may be further processed or can be dried by any of the steps mentioned above and then bleached, or bleached and then dried.

One of the outstanding advantages of the procedures indicated above is that for the first time it is possible to obtain a bleached crude Irish moss in which the majority of soluble salts and protein matter have been removed, this resulting in completely new properties for any ground bleached Irish moss in that the absence of salts and protein material plus other contaminants makes possible a much faster rate of solution of the crude moss. A considerably lower temperature is needed for such solution and a higher viscosity is obtained than with any other crude moss.

Stated somewhat otherwise, this invention has as one of its valuable objects the production of a new product, namely, a finely-divided Irish moss, not an extract, which is bleached and which at the same time has the major portion, for example about 85%, of its salts and other water-soluble contaminants removed.

The reason that this is an innovatory, unique, original and unprecedented product is because of the fact that, heretofore, it has been necessary to-bleach Irish moss prior to washing, that is to say, it is impossible to bleach Irish moss if it has been washed due to the fact that, in the past, Irish moss has had to be bleached in the presence of salt-solutions regardless of the manner of extraction of its gelose. had been bleached it was impracticable and not feasible to attempt to remove the salts because, in the process of their elimination by washing, the then very soluble, valuable mucilage went into solution. Therefore, one of the outstanding essential new features of this invention is the fact that we can now bleach Irish moss without the necessity for having salts present, the advantage of this being that the new procedure allows the production of a new type of matter since for the first time we have rendered available a bleached Irish moss without at the same time having salts and other major contaminants present, and by the new method we can now obtain a bleached Irish moss which is in a much purer state than previously possible.

Those acquainted with this art will readily understand that the present invention as defined by the appended claims is not necessarily limited and restricted to the precise and exact details Further, after Irish moss set forth and that reasonable modifications or changes may be resorted to without departing from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. The novel process of extractingwith heated water at a temperature not exceeding about 120 Fahr. from black, unbleached Irish moss a major portion of its soluble salts without extracting more than 15% of its extractible mucilaginousconstituents, drying the moss, subdividing the treated moss to about 100 to 200 mesh size and bleaching such dry moss in a thin layer of about 1 g inch thickness by exposure to sunlight to provide the resulting commercial product.

2. The novel process of extracting with heated water at not to exceed about 120 Fahr. from black, unbleached Irish moss a major portion of its soluble salts without extracting more than 15% of its extractible mucilaginous-constituents, subdividing the treated moss to about 100 to 200 mesh size, drying the moss and bleaching such dried subdivided moss by exposing it in a thin layer of about inch thickness to sunlight to provide the resulting commercial product.

3. The novel process set forth in claim 1, in which said heated water is acidified to about the extent of pH 1 to 7 and eliminating the acidity of the moss before drying it.

4. The novel process set forth in claim 1, in which said heated water is acidified with hydrochloric acid to about a pH of 1 to 7 including. eliminating the acidity of the moss before it is dried.

5. The novel process set forth in claim 1, in which said heated water is acidified to about 1 to 7 pH and said treatment with said acid solution occupies about 10 to 15 minutes.

6. The novel process set forth in claim 1, in which said bleaching is under above normal atmospheric humidity and above normal atmospheric temperature conditions.

7. The novel process set forth in claim 2, in which said subdividing of the moss is wet grinding preceding said drying and including also supplemental dry grinding of said dried product.

8. A finely divided bleached Irish moss product, made according to claim 1 of from about 100 to 200 mesh size from which a major portion of its original non-mucilaginous soluble constituents has been first eliminated.

9. A finely divided bleached Irish moss product, made according to claim 2 of from about 100 to 200 mesh size from which about of its original non-mucilaginous soluble constituents have been first eliminated.

10. A finely divided bleached Irish moss product, made according to claim 3 of about 100 to 200 mesh size from which a major portion of its original non-mucilaginous soluble constituents has been first eliminated but which contains substantially all of its original mucilaginous constituents.

11. A finely-divided bleached Irish moss product, made according to claim 4 of about 100 to 200 mesh size from which a major portion of its original non-mucilaginous soluble constituents has been first eliminated but which contains at least of all of its original mucilaginous constituents.

12. A finely-divided bleached Irish moss product, made according to claim 5 of about to 200 mesh size from which not less than 85% of its original non-mucilaginous soluble constituents have been first eliminated but which contains not less than about 90% of its original mucilaginous constituents.

13. The product produced by the process of extracting with heated Water at a temperature not exceeding about 120 Fahr. from black, unbleached Irish moss a major portion of its soluble salts Without extracting more than 15% of its extractible mucilaginous constituents, drying the moss, subdividing the treated moss to about 100 to 200 mesh size and bleaching such dried moss in a thin layer of about inch thickness by exposure to sunlight to provide theresulting commercial product.

14. The product set forth in the process of extracting with heated water at not to exceed about 120 Fahr. from black, unbleached Irish moss a major portion of its soluble salts without extracting more than 15% of its extractible mucilaginous constituents, subdividing the treated moss to about 100 to 200 mesh size by wet grinding the same, drying the moss, and bleaching such dried subdivided moss by exposing it in a thin layer of about "1 5 inch thickness to sunlight to provide the resulting commercial product.

ARTHUR E. SIEHRS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES 0n Currageen, Paul Haas and T. G. Hill, in The Annals of Applied Biology (British), vol. 7, 1921, page 355. 

1. THE NOVEL PROCESS OF EXTRACTING WITH HEATED WATER AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 120* FAHR. FROM BACK, UNBLEACHED IRISH MOSS A MAJOR PORTION OF ITS SOLUBLE SALTS WITHOUT EXTRACTING MORE THAN 15% OF ITS EXTRACTIBLE MUCILAGINOUSCONSTITUENTS, DRYING THE MOSS, SUBDIVIDING THE TREATED MOSS TO ABOUT 100 TO 200 MESH SIZE AND BLEACHING SUCH DRY MOSS IN A THIN LAYER OF ABOUT 1/16 INCH THICKNESS BY EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT TO PROVIDE THE RESULTING COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. 